Archived press release

MPs Agree to GM Ban in Common's Restaurants . But Government still promotes Frankenstein food

20 November 1998

MPs have overwhelmingly backed a policy banning genetically modified food from restaurants and bars in the House of Commons. Members of the Catering Committee met earlier this month and agreed to endorse a policy “to avoid where identifiable, the procurement of foods which contain genetically modified organisms” [1].

The House of Commons GM food ban was first first revealed - by Friends of the Earth -in August. However, the policy had never been discussed or approved by the Commons Catering Committee. Following their meeting on 4 November, MPs [2] unanimously approved the policy which was introduced because of ethical and environmental concerns.

The policy towards GM food in the House of Commons contrasts sharply with Government policy towards public consumption of GM food. The public are still eating unlabelled GM food despite the fact that the vast majority of the public - nearly two thirds in a recent MORI survey - don't want to eat them.

Pete Riley, Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

“MPs have agreed to avoid GM food in the restaurants and bars of the House of Commons because they don't meet ethical and environmental criteria. They have every right to be concerned. Alas, the rest of us are still being forced to eat these Frankenstein foods despite the fact that surveys show that most people don't want them. The Government should stop cow-towing to the interests of the biotech industry, listen to the voters, and ban GM food and crops for at least five years so that their impact on health and the environment can be properly assessed.”

[1] Parliamentary Answer 20 July 1998

[2] Six of the Nine members attended the Commons Catering Committee meeting. They unanimously approved the policy towards GM food.

For further information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

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Archived press release

MPs Agree to GM Ban in Common's Restaurants . But Government still promotes Frankenstein food

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